Tuesday, January 08, 2008

ACTION ALERT Solidarity Against Intimidation

Dozens of organizations in Puerto Rico and the United States will participate
in protests on Thursday January 10 and Friday January 11, 2008 against the new
wave of FBI repression against Pro Independence Puerto Ricans. On this
occasion a New York City Grand Jury issued subpoenas to three young Puerto
Ricans. Tania Frontera, Christopher Torres and Julio Pabon Jr. are
scheduled to appear before a Federal Grand Jury on January 11, 2008.
Representatives of 20 Puerto Rican organizations will rally on
Thursday January 10, 2008 at 5 pm in front of the U.S. Federal Court in Hato Rey. Another 40
Puerto Rican organizations in New York, Philadelphia , Cleveland, Los Angeles,
Chicago, San Francisco and Orlando will hold rallies on either January 10 or
January 11.
-------------------------------------------------------------
San Juan
U.S. Federal Court House in Hato Rey
Thursday, January 10
5:00 pm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York
Rally Against Gran Jury Repression of Puerto Rican Independentista Activists
Friday January 11 at 9:30 am
U.S. Federal Court, Federal Court 225 Cadman Plaza East Brooklyn, New York
A/C Subway to High Street, 2/3 to Clark Street, ).
Brooklyn, New York
Take (subway) A/C to High Street o 2/ 3 to Clark Street. M/R to Court St-Boro
Hall, 4/5 to Borough Hall, F toJay St-Boro Hall, G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn
One of the email contracts:The Hostos 111 Grand Jury Resistance Movement
resistgrandjury@gmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles
Friday, January 11
Rally at the Federal Building in Los Angles
300 N. Los Angeles St.,
4:30 PM Contact: Lawrence, Puerto Rican Allliance Of Los Angeles
310-460-8586,
alianzapr@hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chicago
Thursday January 10
5:00 pm
Federal Building
Dearborn corner with Jackson
Contact: michellem@boricuahumanrights.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles
Friday January 11
Rally Federal Building in Los Angeles
300 N. Los Angeles St.,
4:30 PM
Contact: Lawrence, Puerto Rican Allliance Of Los Angeles 310-460-8586,
alianzapr@hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other activities against Gran Jury Repression and in support of our boricua
brothers and sister are planned for the following cities:
Boston
Cleveland
Philadephia
Orlando
San Francisco
We waiting for the details.


Feds target Puerto Ricans in New York

Groups and individuals from diverse sectors of the Puerto Rican
pro-independence movement and the Boricua Community in general, are currently
urgently meeting in Puerto Rico and throughout the Diaspora to
organize against
the latest offensive by the U.S. Department of Justice, after being informed
that several young Boricua pro-independence activists from New York City have
been subpoenaed to appear before a Federal Grand jury investigating the Puerto
Rican Independence Movement in general, and in particular, the
Ejercito Popular
Boricua (EPB: Popular Boricua Army) aka the Macheteros.

Tania Frontera, Christopher Torres and Julio Pabon Jr. are scheduled to appear
before a Federal Grand Jury on January 11, 2008. Hector Rivera, co-founder of
the cultural institution The Welfare Poets, is also expected to be served with
a subpoena to appear on that day. In the past, due to the fact that some
pro-independence activists have traditionally refused to receive the subpoenas
from the Grand Jury or to respond to its questions, many have ended up behind
bars.

Both the FBI and U.S. Dept. of Justice have made it clear that there is an
ongoing investigation focused on the Ejercito Popular Boricua
(EPB)-Macheteros.
Special Agent Luis Fraticelli, who heads the FBI in San Juan, has
said that the
agency intends to capture Comandante Guasabara of the EPB, who is believed to
have succeeded Filiberto Ojeda Ri­os in the leadership of the clandestine
revolutionary organization. Ojeda Ri­os was assassinated by the
federal agents
on September 23, 2005.

The initial rumors that the recent subpoenas had been issued and served began
to circulate almost simultaneously as the new progress report of the White
House committee revewing the colonial conditions of Puerto Rico was made
public. The subpoenas, all served in New York City are to appear before the
Federal Grand Jury on the following January 11.

Although many are shocked by the identity of some of the particular
individuals
targeted, this latest offensive by the U.S. Federal Government has not come as
a total surprise to the Pro-Independence Movement, which has been
organizing to
prepare for an expected new wave of political repression and possibly arrests.


SAN JUAN/Corresponsal EDLP — Agrupaciones de diversas vertientes del
independentismo se reunían con carácter de urgencia en San Juan para
trazar un plan ante la nueva ofensiva del Departamento de Justicia de Estados
Unidos, tras recibirse informe de que varios independentistas
boricuas de Nueva
York han sido citados a comparecer al gran jurado.

Debido a que tradicionalmente los independentistas puertorriqueños
se niegan
a aceptar las citaciones del gran jurado o responder sus preguntas, los
referidos emplazamientos usualmente desembocan en el encarcelamiento de los
luchadores por la independencia de esta nación caribeña, colonia de EEUU
desde 1898.

Los informes recibidos hasta ayer en Puerto Rico eran en el sentido de que los
citados en esta ocasión fueron identificados como la diseñadora
gráfica Tania Frontera, el trabajador social Christopher Torres y el
cineasta Julio Antonio Pabón, hijo. Además, había indicaciones sin
confirmar sobre que el Buró Federal de Investigaciones estaba tratando de
localizar para emplazar también a Héctor Rivera, uno de los
fundadores de
la prestigiosa institución político-cultural con base en Nueva York
“Welfare Poets†.

La reunión fue convocada por el grupo La Nueva Escuela, pero se indicó
durante el día que habían confirmado su asistencia organizaciones de
distintas vertientes. Los organizadores anticiparon que podrían usarse
recursos legales y recurrir al derecho internacional, además de que se
arreciaría la campaña para demandar que el FBI sea retirado de Puerto
Rico.

Normalmente ni el FBI ni el Departamento de Justicia dan información
pública sobre las pesquisas en proceso, pero en cuanto al tema del
independentismo puertorriqueño han dejado claro que hay una
investigación
continua contra el Ejército Popular Boricua-Macheteros. El Agente
Especial a
Cargo del FBI en San Juan, Luis Fraticelli, ha dicho que esa agencia intenta
capturar al Comandante Guasábara, que sucedió en la jefatura de los
Macheteros a Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, a quien mató un grupo comando
estadounidense en 2005.

Las nuevas citaciones expedidas en Nueva York son para comparecer ante el
cuerpo investigativo el 11 de enero, cuando en Puerto Rico se conmemora al
prócer Eugenio María de Hostos por lo que la fecha tiene una gran
connotación para los grupos que luchan por la independencia. De hecho, los
primeros rumores de que se habían emitido las citaciones comenzaron a
circular casi a la vez que se hizo público el nuevo informe de progreso del
grupo de trabajo de la Casa Blanca sobre el caso colonial de Puerto Rico.

Las citaciones no han resultado del todo sorpresivas en Puerto Rico, donde a
principios de mes se llevó a cabo una reunión de grupos independentistas
para discutir precisamente lo que se esperaba sería una nueva ofensiva de
represión policial y posibles encarcelamientos.


ALERT FROM A COMPAñERO:

I am writing to state the conclusive facts to all whom are aware and those who
are not.

Two brothers and a sister are right now facing grand jury subpoenas on January
11,2008.

The FBI under the guise of carrying out an investigation has historically
attacked the members and sympathizers of the Puerto Rican Independence
movement.

The policy of subpoenas is to initiate a campaign of intense harassment and
intimidation. We will rally and provide support to all those whom are
subpoenaed and their families.

I am calling on all people to unite and mobilize to the federal court
in Camden
Plaza in Brooklyn on January 11,2008.

The FBI in a gross violation of our human rights in Puerto Rico and our
internationally protected right to self-determination killed of Puerto Rican
Patriot and leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios on September 23 2005. Despite
the years
of bombing and destroying illegally our beautiful island of Vieques we
organized and rallied our people to conduct peaceful civil
disobedience, prayer
vigils, forums and fund raisers.

The FBI seeking to intimidate these brothers and a sister have been submitting
them to harassment visits at their homes and jobs, then upon failing to gain
their cooperation three have been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury and
testify or face incarceration.

I guarantee that like in the past this campaign will fail. It will once again
fail like it did the many times in the past because the people of Puerto Rico
understand that the FBI and Homeland Security are the same cowards
whom cruelly tortured, assassinated and incarcerated patriots and leaders of our nation
since the illegal invasion and occupation July 25,1898 of our nation.

The people marched out in the streets in support of the great patriotic leader
Filiberto Ojeda Rios and by the thousands attended his wake and
burial. We must
resist and in unity build support for all those who are investigated,
harassed,
and jailed. We must wholeheartedly stand firm and strong in support of these
brothers and sisters who dare to struggle and dare to resist.

It is important to note the fact that the Puerto Rican Independence Movement,
nor Los Macheteros are terrorists. The only "Terrorist" act linked to our
movement has been the assassination of the Comandante of Los Macheteros,
Filiberto Ojeda Rios on Sept. 23rd, 2005, the day that Puerto Rican people
commemorate the uprising against Spanish Colonialism by the F.B.I.


IF APPROACHED BY AGENTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

YOU ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. YOU SHOULD DO SO.

TELL THEM " I AM EXERCISING MY RIGHT NOT TO SPEAK WITH YOU WITHOUT MY ATTORNEY
BEING PRESENT". GIVE THEM YOUR LAWYERS NUMBER. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE
ONE, ASK THEM FOR THEIR INFORMATION TO GIVE TO A LAWYER

IF APPROACHED, CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY BEFORE MEETING, SPEAKING ON THE PHONE,
WRITING OR IN ANY WAY ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS,

ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN BE USED AGAINST YOU. THEIR REPORTS WILL REFLECT "THEIR
VERSION" OF CONVERSATIONS OR STATEMENTS ALLEGEDLY MADE BY YOU

LYING TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT "IS A CRIME'"

DO NOT APPEAR BEFORE ANYONE FOR QUESTIONING, CONSENT TO ANY SEARCHES OF YOUR
HOME OR PRIVATE PROPERTY, SURRENDER ANY EVIDENCE OR IN ANY WAY LET YOURSELF BE
INVOLVED IN ANY ASPECT OF ANY INVESTIGATION WITHOUT A COURT ORDER AND
WITH YOUR ATTORNEY

IF THERE IS ANY "LEGITIMATE" REASON , LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS CAN
OBTAIN A COURT ORDER. DO NOT CONSENT TO ANYTHING WITHOUT IT. .

FEDERAL AGENTS ARE HARASSING PEOPLE BY VISITING THEM IN THEIR PLACE OF
EMPLOYMENT. THEY ARE USING THIS METHOD TO "INVITE" PEOPLE OUT TO "JUST" TALK
OVER COFFEE

FEDERAL AGENTS ARE LYING TO PEOPLE THEY APPROACH BY TELLING THEM THEY
JUST WANT TO TALK, ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATION AND THEN SERVING
THEM WITH A SUPOENA.

DO NOT LET YOU SELF BE INTIMIDATED

No comments: